Muresk students take a stand

The Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD), which runs Muresk near Northam and Central Regional TAFE (CRT), which up until last month helped deliver the degree course there, demanded the stand not operate as it was being set up.

Outraged students undertaking the Charles Sturt University (CSU) bachelor degree at Muresk stepped in to promote the course – also offered online – on Wednesday and Thursday in the education tent at Dowerin.

They were at a stand directly opposite one promoting Muresk and other training courses.

CSU or CRT staff from Muresk were not at the stand, which was booked and paid for on behalf of CRT earlier this year, and materials displayed did not mention DTWD or CRT or display their logos.

DTWD’s direction in relation to the stand and promoting CSU’s three-year agriculture business management degree was seen as a further example of what students claim is a deteriorating relationship between CSU and CRT at Muresk.

They claim the relationship deteriorated noticeably after a funding agreement termination for CSU and return of a Curtin University (CU) agribusiness course to Muresk was announced on August 17.

Another example, students said, was CRT and CSU staff seated at adjacent tables declining to mingle at a recent function at Spencers Brook Tavern.

As previously reported in Farm Weekly, Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery confirmed last month a $20 million three-year Royalties for Regions funding subsidy agreement between CRT and New South Wales-based CSU for face-to-face delivery of the degree course at Muresk has ended.

Ms Ellery announced a new two-year associate degree in agribusiness would be offered from 2019 by CU with “flexible delivery modes including face-to-face teaching at Muresk and Curtin’s Bentley campus”.

The associate degree would feed students into CU’s three-year Bachelor of Agribusiness degree at Bentley, she said.

CU’s previous 40-year relationship with Muresk ended in 2012 when it moved its agribusiness degree to Bentley, angering many prominent and influential Muresk ‘old boys’ who had studied agriculture there.

The agreement with CSU was put together to ensure an agriculture degree remained at Muresk.

The first cohort of CSU students received their degrees this year.

Another 45 students – only nine enrolled this year with extended problems on CRT’s online enrolment program largely blamed for the low number – have been told they can complete their degree at Muresk.

This was confirmed in carefully-worded statements by CSU on August 23 and by professor David Falepau, CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences head, in an email to all degree students attending Muresk on Wednesday last week.

“Due to low enrolment numbers Central Regional TAFE has officially enacted the termination clause within the (course provision) agreement,” professor Falepau said.

“This means that there will be no further intakes into the face to face offering of the Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management through Central Regional TAFE.

“We wish to assure you that the agreement continues to provide for currently enrolled students.

“Central Regional TAFE and CSU are committed to working closely with you to ensure you are able to complete your degree to the standard of academic rigour and excellence you expected upon enrolment.

“Central Regional TAFE is committed to enabling all existing students to complete their degree face to face and classes will continue to be offered for all currently enrolled students who continue with a normal progression rate,” he said.

But professor Falepau and the CSU statement left unsaid whether CSU would contemplate continuing to offer the course as a Muresk tenant, without State government, DTWD or CRT backing and in competition to CU’s associate degree, if sufficient student numbers or alternate funding became available.

Ms Ellery also acknowledged in her statement CSU could choose to continue offering the course without support.

Some CSU students at Muresk are adamant they have been told it could still be possible new students may join them between now and at least the first semester 2020, when the last of the current crop of CSU degree students will graduate.

From what they claim to have been told, they believe students who enrol for the CSU agriculture business management degree at Wagga Wagga, Nerw South Wales, or CSU online can elect to receive some subjects face-to-face at Muresk as they are being delivered to students already enrolled.

There is also some speculation that if 20 to 30 students could be enrolled for the CSU degree next year at Muresk, that would be sufficient for CSU to continue to offer it as a self-funding course.

So far CSU has declined to clarify the situation and its media team has referred inquiry to its August 23 statement.

Central Wheatbelt MLA and The Nationals WA leader Mia Davies said she planned to write to professor Falepau asking for the situation regarding CSU’s preparedness to continue with the Muresk degree to be clarified.

“This letter (professor Falepau’s email to students) is simply confirming what we already know, that the Labor McGowan government has walked away from the CSU Bachelor in Agriculture Business Management degree,” Ms Davies said.

“So much effort by the previous government, industry and employees has gone into re-establishing a bachelor-level degree, but this has clearly been lost on a minister whose focus is on delivering $5 billion worth of election commitments, a majority of which are in Perth.

“No one was arguing for perpetual funding – but additional funding to enable student numbers to reach a sustainable level was not an unreasonable proposal.

“In its first few months the Labor government has walked away from the CSU degree at Muresk, removed the director of agricultural education from the department and cut $6 million from grower group research and development programs.

“The early signs from this government are not good for the agriculture sector or the communities that rely on it,” she said.

Muresk Old Collegian’s Association (MOCA) president, CBH Group director and growers advisory council chairman, Pingelly grain and livestock producer and holder of a CU agribusiness degree from Muresk, John Hassell, said he could see “no reason why both CSU and CU tertiary offerings could not co-exist” at Muresk.

Mr Hassell said CSU has “expressed a willingness” to continue with the degree at Muresk “subject to enrolments”.

“The recent announcement by (Sue Ellery) of the return of Curtin University to the Muresk campus offering an associate diploma is at least two years away,” Mr Hassell said.

“In the meantime, (DTWD) action discourages future students to enrol in the CSU program to take-up industry-relevant studies while the skills shortage continues to grow,” he said.

Mr Hassell said MOCA supported the current CSU degree at Muresk and he called on DTWD “to work collaboratively while CU outlines the methodology by which it plans to determine industry need” for its associate degree.

He said MOCA could not understand DTWD’s “ban” at Dowerin on distribution of promotional material for the CSU degree.

“This is an unfathomable development and (DTWD’s) action is a further constraint to securing a flow of quality graduates for the agribusiness sector,” Mr Hassell said.

DTWD acting director general Anne Driscoll said CRT was asked to remove the stand because of concerns misleading information regarding State government support could have been handed out.

“The Department of Training and Workforce Development requested Central Regional TAFE remove the stand at Dowerin Field Days because co-branded promotion materials implied the Charles Sturt University Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management course will continue with State government support,” Ms Driscoll said.

“This is misleading for prospective students given the State government recently announced that no new enrolments would be offered in the joint program.”